For 91 Days - Page 9 of 12 - We travel the world 91 days at a time, living like locals and truly learning about different cultures.

Knossos: The “Modern” Minoan Palace Near Heraklion

Just outside of Heraklion, the biggest city and capital of Crete, lie the ruins of Knossos: one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the Western world. Knossos was home to the palace of King Minos, and thought to be the center of the extinct Minoan kingdom. It's a place drenched in history so ancient, it's positively mythological. Heraklion is a three-hour bus ride from Chania, which we were astounded to discover. It's easy to think of…

The Archaeological Museum of Chania – History And Architecture

Over a decade ago, Chania announced its plans for the new home of the city's Archaelogical Museum: a modern construction of glass and steel. Luckily for us, there have been a lot of delays, and the museum is still in the same old converted mosque that's been its home since opening in 1962. Nothing against modern buildings, of course, but we can't imagine a better place to host an archaeological collection than this place. The museum itself…

The Old Market Hall In Chania

If you look at any map of Chania, it's easy to locate the Municipal Market: just look for the cross-shaped building in the middle of town. Each of the four "wings" has its own entrance, all of which lead to the large hall in the center. This is a great place to come for fresh fruits & veggies, meat, fish, and restaurants serving up local specialties. Try to visit the market as early as possible. In fact,…

The Coastal Hike from Loutro to Hora Sfakion

Our stay in Loutro was short but sweet. We had just a single day, not even twenty-four hours, to bask in the quiet beauty of this tiny village. There are only two ways to access Loutro: either by boat, or by foot. And since we had taken the ferry in, we decided to hoof it out. A brilliant coastal path of about two hours connects this town back to Chora Sfakion, where we'd be catching the bus…

Early Morning Hike From Loutro To Finikas Bay And Back

After waking up in Loutro, we went to the top of our guesthouse, just to make sure the town was as amazing as we remembered, and that yesterday hadn't been some vivid dream. Clutching mugs of coffee, we watched the morning sun pour in over the cliffs, bathing the bay in a soft, warm light. Yep, Loutro's beauty was an objective reality. This was a perfect beginning to the morning, but we couldn't linger too long: we…

The Villages of Loutro & Chora Sfakion

A splash of white at the bottom of the cliffs, the village of Loutro looks like someone spilled paint out of a bucket, then decided not to clean it up. "Nobody will see it anyway, all the way down there." It's not unreasonable, because without a boat, you never would see Loutro. This tiny, gorgeous village is totally inaccessible by car. Arriving at Loutro isn't the easiest, especially if the weather is bad. We had to scramble,…

Exploring the Beaches Of Chania, On Foot

Because of its Venetian Harbor, Chania doesn't have a beach directly in town. But you don't have to go far to reach some. In fact, you can leave your car at home -- given the city's chaotic parking situation, it's likely you'd need more time to find a spot, than you would to walk the entire distance to any of these beaches! Koum Kapi Beach We'll start toward the east of the city, with tiny Koum Kapi…

Traditional Leather Processing Workshops Near Chania, Crete

Before tourism staked its claim, Chania was leather territory. For years, this had been the place to buy the famous tall, black leather boots of Crete, especially along Stivanandika Street. There's still plenty of leather being sold on this street, but the workshops are gone, replaced by an unbroken lineup of identical tourist shops. If you want to find something more traditional way, you have to leave the Old Quarter. Stivanandika, or Leather Street, was actually the…

Making Traditional Chairs in Chania, Crete

Even if you've never been to Greece, chances are you know these kinds of woven chairs, because they're found in Greek restaurants around the world. We love seeing traditional crafts being made... but we never expected to open our front door and see a guy weaving a chair, directly across from us! I was sitting in the kitchen of our Chania apartment, working with the door open. Although I was absorbed in my work, I could feel…

The Wuppertal Schwebebahn (Suspension Monorail) — Since 1901

On the last day of my short but intense trip to Germany, I arrived in Wuppertal, to finally fulfill one of my childhood dreams: riding the city's famous suspension monorail, called the Schwebebahn. I recently wrote about the Skytram suspension train at Düsseldorf's airport, but Wuppertal's is on a whole different level. The Schwebebahn is the primary means of public transportation in this medium-sized city of 350,000 people. It runs from east to west, connecting the entire…